登陆注册
19642300000041

第41章

"Better than going down again though," as Tadpole remarked, "as we should have had to do if those beggars had caught us."

By the time that the calling-over bell rang, Tom and his new comrades were all down, dressed in their best clothes, and he had the satisfaction of answering "here" to his name for the first time, the prepostor of the week having put it in at the bottom of his list. And then came breakfast and a saunter about the close and town with East, whose lameness only became severe when any fagging had to be done. And so they whiled away the time until morning chapel.

It was a fine November morning, and the close soon became alive with boys of all ages, who sauntered about on the grass, or walked round the gravel walk, in parties of two or three. East, still doing the cicerone, pointed out all the remarkable characters to Tom as they passed: Osbert, who could throw a cricket-ball from the little-side ground over the rook-trees to the Doctor's wall; Gray, who had got the Balliol scholarship, and, what East evidently thought of much more importance, a half-holiday for the School by his success; Thorne, who had run ten miles in two minutes over the hour; Black, who had held his own against the cock of the town in the last row with the louts; and many more heroes, who then and there walked about and were worshipped, all trace of whom has long since vanished from the scene of their fame. And the fourth-form boy who reads their names rudely cut on the old hall tables, or painted upon the big-side cupboard (if hall tables and big-side cupboards still exist), wonders what manner of boys they were. It will be the same with you who wonder, my sons, whatever your prowess may be in cricket, or scholarship, or football. Two or three years, more or less, and then the steadily advancing, blessed wave will pass over your names as it has passed over ours. Nevertheless, play your games and do your work manfully--see only that that be done--and let the remembrance of it take care of itself.

The chapel-bell began to ring at a quarter to eleven, and Tom got in early and took his place in the lowest row, and watched all the other boys come in and take their places, filling row after row; and tried to construe the Greek text which was inscribed over the door with the slightest possible success, and wondered which of the masters, who walked down the chapel and took their seats in the exalted boxes at the end, would be his lord. And then came the closing of the doors, and the Doctor in his robes, and the service, which, however, didn't impress him much, for his feeling of wonder and curiosity was too strong.

And the boy on one side of him was scratching his name on the oak panelling in front, and he couldn't help watching to see what the name was, and whether it was well scratched; and the boy on the other side went to sleep, and kept falling against him; and on the whole, though many boys even in that part of the school were serious and attentive, the general atmosphere was by no means devotional; and when he got out into the close again, he didn't feel at all comfortable, or as if he had been to church.

But at afternoon chapel it was quite another thing. He had spent the time after dinner in writing home to his mother, and so was in a better frame of mind; and his first curiosity was over, and he could attend more to the service. As the hymn after the prayers was being sung, and the chapel was getting a little dark, he was beginning to feel that he had been really worshipping. And then came that great event in his, as in every Rugby boy's life of that day--the first sermon from the Doctor.

More worthy pens than mine have described that scene--the oak pulpit standing out by itself above the School seats; the tall, gallant form, the kindling eye, the voice, now soft as the low notes of a flute, now clear and stirring as the call of the light-infantry bugle, of him who stood there Sunday after Sunday, witnessing and pleading for his Lord, the King of righteousness and love and glory, with whose Spirit he was filled, and in whose power he spoke; the long lines of young faces, rising tier above tier down the whole length of the chapel, from the little boy's who had just left his mother to the young man's who was going out next week into the great world, rejoicing in his strength. It was a great and solemn sight, and never more so than at this time of year, when the only lights in the chapel were in the pulpit and at the seats of the prepostors of the week, and the soft twilight stole over the rest of the chapel, deepening into darkness in the high gallery behind the organ.

同类推荐
  • 六朝文絜

    六朝文絜

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 观总相论颂

    观总相论颂

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 鹤山禅师执帚集

    鹤山禅师执帚集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 十二缘生祥瑞经

    十二缘生祥瑞经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 海外恸哭记

    海外恸哭记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 我用一生爱伊人

    我用一生爱伊人

    本书讲述了一个普通的男人,爱着一个女人的故事,但是女人如今却已经结婚了,那么他的的感情他的未来改何去何从,是继续爱着那个已经结了婚的女人,还是继续漂泊中找寻自己的心爱情,尽情期待
  • 总裁大叔别心急

    总裁大叔别心急

    被老腊肉强吻,老腊肉还霸道地让她嫁给他侄子!这好歹也是嫁入豪门了,可是许晓晓一点都不高兴!“喂,大叔,我可是你侄媳。”顾樊川将她逼到墙角:“是,还是不是,只有我说了算。”“你霸道,你不讲理!”“你第一天认识我?女人,你是我的,你给我记住了!”嘤嘤嘤,这老腊肉也太帅了……许晓晓一把扑倒他,摸着他结实的胸肌贼笑:“那你也不是第一天认识我了,你强吻了我,我得强回来!”--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 76号特务实录

    76号特务实录

    抗战初期,顺应全国民众的呼声,军统在上海对日寇官兵、大汉奸及日伪机构进行暴力袭击,使日伪遭受重大损失。汪伪76号特务展开报复行动,破获军统上海站,杀死大批军统特务。不断升级的报复与反报复让上海滩充满了血雨腥风。本书形象地再现了汪伪76号的每一场风云突变,揭开笼罩已久的神秘面纱,真捣恐怖而罪恶的特务组织核心。惊心动魄的策反、暗杀,血雨腥风的剧变、惨案,零距离目击极斯菲尔路76号,刺目刻画历史上的黑色一笔。以理性的眼光、客观的态度、细腻的笔法,深度透视中国抗日战争时期出现的最大的汉奸特务组织。
  • 素问六气玄珠密语

    素问六气玄珠密语

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 仙娘逃婚记

    仙娘逃婚记

    陶仙娘,俗称媒人。此仙爱好牵红线,远古时期众生芸芸的红线都由她掌控,只要她手指轻轻一牵,谁就是谁的佳偶。在西方,她还有个特别可爱的名字,叫丘比特。轩辕大帝和拓跋姬是由仙娘牵线而成的,然而仙娘恶作剧般地让轩辕大帝追拓跋姬追得好惨,轩辕大帝在一次偶然知道了真相,他堂堂大帝竟然被一个这么小小的神仙玩弄,气地下令把陶仙娘赐婚给招摇山上的某一男妖。陶仙娘一惊,连夜收拾包袱,逃之夭夭。于是,她开启了她的逃婚之旅......
  • 天价前妻很抢手

    天价前妻很抢手

    一夜邂逅,她惨遭厄运,被迫成了人人喊打的“小三”,带着秘密死在他眼前。五年后,再重遇,他为情吐血,她却甜蜜的靠在别人怀里。她是演唱会最神秘的嘉宾,牵着五岁的小萌太,向全世界观众宣布结婚……
  • 空间之超时空商人

    空间之超时空商人

    她,只是一个平凡的少女一觉醒来,身上多了一个空间,一个神奇的时空空间瞬间,人生的轨迹发生变化丧尸,机甲,穿越……这一切以前从不敢想象的东西呈现在眼前,触手可及啥?说她没见识?姐拿奇珍异宝砸都能砸死你,还怕你不认识敢背着她算计她,还算计她的家人信不信直接把你拉到侏罗纪当鱼饵敢伤害她在乎的人信不信把你弄到末世去钓丧尸从此,异世少女开启强势崛!******【末世篇】“哇,快看快看,有异能者,嗯,抓住打晕了带回去……”某女兴奋道“哇,快看快看,有变异兽,嗯,抓住打晕了带回去……”某女再次兴奋道“哇,快看快看,有丧尸,嗯,抓住打晕了,带回去……”某女乐此不疲道小落默“姐姐,我们空间快装不下了……”【古代篇】“小姐小姐,东边开了家服装店,里面的衣服很好看。”“嗯,买回来,给大家做衣服打包带回去。”“小姐小姐,西边开了家很大的美食楼,里面的美食超级好吃。”“嗯,买回来,给大家做衣服打包带回去。”“小姐小姐,北边来了很大的家首饰店,里面的首饰超级精致。”“嗯。买回来,给大家做首饰打包带回去。”“小姐小姐,南边开了家很大的小倌楼,里面的男人超级帅气。”“嗯,买回来,给大家做男人把包带回去。”“……”
  • 古灵精怪:重生王妃

    古灵精怪:重生王妃

    陈思琪,活泼可爱的一位大学生,在一次车祸中穿越时空,在这里,她成为了宰相的三女——上官紫兰,她一次次死里逃生,上天让她在这里创建了一个她自己的商业王国,遇上了自己生命中的真命天子。(喜欢读书的朋友们,请加入QQ群:149662168)
  • 最美年华初相见

    最美年华初相见

    世界上最遥远的距离,不是瞬间便无处寻觅,而是,尚未相聚,便注定无法相遇。十年前,我们在风华年少的时代,最美的年华之中,相约在英菲圣顿贵族学院。十年后的今天,我们都已经从各个地方回归,却已经不再是曾经的自己。我们,不再一起盼望明天,不再喃喃着梦想的存在。因为,我们长大了啊。可是……“雪彡,十年的时间也应该足够去思考了,你逃避了那么久的问题,是不是应该给一个答复了呢?”他的声音在耳畔响起。那么的真切。梦中无数次出现的声音,这个时候,却又……喵咪雪彡抬起头,看着艾泽霖强扯出来的笑容,心里的苦涩越来越浓。人生若只初相见,可否能让她回到曾经,做一个无忧无虑的孩子?给她个机会,她真想寻找到当初的答案。
  • 一个海军军官的网络情缘

    一个海军军官的网络情缘

    一位海军军官的真实的网络恋爱经历。龙哥先后在网上结识了可可、姗姗两个可爱的女孩并与她们温暖愉悦地交往。姗姗因种种原因自动退出,龙哥与可可渐渐相知相爱,美好的恋情从网络走向现实,终成眷属。小说以散文化的风格反映了长沙、西安等地城乡的民情风俗,从一个新的视角呈现出时代的风貌。